Bartleby the Sribner

Durkheim developed the concept of a social fact and appears to be the heart of his sociological theory. This concept can be described as the social structures and cultural norms and values that are external to and coercive of actors. For example, we as students are constrained by such social structures of university bureaucracy and the norms and values of American society, with an emphasis on getting a college education. Social facts constrain people in all areas of social life. It is the expectation of society that is placed upon all of us who live and function and are accepted in our society.

Social facts are either fixed or fluid. A fixed social fact would be considered to be crystallized. It can not be reduced down to a materialistic value, for example money. A fluid social fact would be considered to be changeable. It could alter as time progresses. Social facts are to be treated as things and are “external to” and “coercive of” to us, there are not reducible. He gapped a bridge between psychological factors leading to social facts. His belief that psychological facts are internal (inherited or grand-fathered) and social facts are external to and coercive of the actor, and